B-52 bombers take off

Friday 21 March 2003 00:00 BST

A wave of B-52 bombers took off today from RAF Fairford. The giant bombers, which have been expected to play a key role in the bombing of Iraq, took off one after the other from the Gloucestershire base shortly after 10am.

In recent days the eight-engine bombers, which carry an awesome arsenal of weapons including cruise missiles, have been seen being loaded up.

It is the first time that so many of the jets have left the base in one sortie.The planes, which have an 8,000-mile range, could hit Iraqi targets within around six hours of leaving Britain.

During the first Gulf conflict Iraqi troops were unable to see the B-52s as they dropped bombs from heights of six or seven miles.

Three B-52s working in formation can leave a crater one mile square and 50ft deep.

American B-52 bombers flew 60 missions in 1991 from RAF Fairford, dropping more than 1,158 tonnes of high explosive in sorties against Saddam Hussein's Republican Guard and other key targets in Iraq and Kuwait.

The departure of a wave of B-52 bombers from RAF Fairford four years ago heralded the start of the Nato assault on Yugoslavia which ultimately led to Serbian forces being ejected from Kosovo.